Process for converting a solid biomass material

ABSTRACT

A process for converting a solid biomass material comprising a) providing a pneumatic fluid; b) dispersing the solid biomass material into the pneumatic fluid to prepare a pneumatic dispersion and transporting the pneumatic dispersion to a reactor; and c) contacting the pneumatic dispersion with a catalyst in the reactor to produce a product stream comprising one or more conversion products.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/718469, filed on Oct. 25, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a process for converting a solid biomass material. The present disclosure further relates to a process for producing a biofuel and/or biochemical.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. This discussion is believed to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of any prior art.

With the diminishing supply of crude petroleum oil, use of renewable energy sources is becoming increasingly important for the production of liquid fuels. These fuels from renewable energy sources are often referred to as biofuels.

Biofuels derived from non-edible renewable energy sources, such as cellulosic materials, are preferred as these do not compete with food production. These biofuels are also referred to as second generation, renewable or advanced, biofuels. Most non-edible renewable energy sources, however, are solid materials that are cumbersome to convert into liquid fuels.

U.S.2012/0160741 describes a method of upgrading biomass to fuel products comprising: mixing a biomass feed stream with a solvent to produce a mixed feed stream; transporting the mixed feed stream through a slurry pump, mixer, or mixer and slurry pump to a riser; combining the mixed feed stream with a conventional FCC feed stream and regenerated catalyst in the riser; cracking and upgrading the biomass feed to upgraded fuel products in the riser; separating upgraded fuel products from deactivated catalyst in reactor/stripper; regenerating the deactivated FCC catalyst in the regenerator; and recycling the regenerated FCC catalyst to the FCC riser, wherein long chain petroleum compounds and biomass are upgraded to fuel products in the FCC riser.

WO2010/135734 describes a method for co-processing a biomass feedstock and a refinery feedstock in a refinery unit comprising catalytically cracking the biomass feedstock and the refinery feedstock in a refinery unit comprising a fluidized reactor, wherein hydrogen is transferred from the refinery feedstock to carbon and oxygen of the biomass feedstock. In one of the embodiments WO2010/135734 describes that the biomass material may be particulated by mechanical processing. In an alternative embodiment, mechanical processing may include particulating the biomass material by conveying biomass material in a stream of gas, and forcing the stream, with the biomass material, to collide with a surface, or with particles, of greater hardness than the biomass material. This appears to be referred to in WO2010/135734 as “pneumatic conveyance”.

International patent application No. PCT/EP2012/057415 describes a process for converting a solid biomass material, comprising contacting the solid biomass material with a catalytic cracking catalyst at a temperature of more than 400° C. in a riser reactor to produce one or more cracked products. The process may comprise feeding the solid biomass material to the riser reactor as a mixture of solid biomass material and a gas. The gas may be selected from the group consisting of steam, vaporized liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, diesel, kerosene, naphtha and mixtures thereof. The patent application explains that solid biomass material may be supplied to the riser reactor with the help of a screw feeder, or if the solid biomass material is supplied to the riser reactor as a suspension of solid biomass particles in a hydrocarbon-containing liquid, with the help of a slurry pump. It would be an advancement in the art to improve the above process further.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a process for converting a solid biomass material, comprising a) providing a pneumatic fluid; b) dispersing the solid biomass material into the pneumatic fluid to prepare a pneumatic dispersion and transporting the pneumatic dispersion to a reactor; c) contacting the pneumatic dispersion with a catalyst in the reactor to produce a product stream comprising one or more conversion products.

Contrary to for example catalyst particles, particles of solid biomass material may be more sticky and tend to clog up equipment more easily. Supplying the solid biomass material to a reactor as a dispersion of solid biomass material in a pneumatic fluid via a pneumatic transport may be advantageous over the use of a screw feeder or slurry pump, as the risk of plugging may be reduced. In addition, when the reactor is a fluid catalytic cracking reactor, the pneumatic fluid allows one to immediately fluidize the solid biomass material upon entering of the catalytic cracking reactor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

By a solid biomass material is herein understood a solid material containing biomass. Preferably the solid biomass material is a solid material consisting of biomass. By biomass is herein understood a composition of matter of biological origin as opposed to a composition of matter obtained or derived from petroleum, natural gas or coal. Without wishing to be bound by any kind of theory it is believed that such biomass may contain carbon-14 isotope in an abundance of about 0.0000000001%, based on total moles of carbon. Any solid biomass material may be used in the process of the invention. In a preferred embodiment the solid biomass material is not a material used for food production.

Examples of solid biomass material include aquatic plants and algae, agricultural waste and/or forestry waste and/or paper waste and/or plant material obtained from domestic waste. Other examples of a solid biomass material can include animal fat and/or used cooking oil, with the proviso that such animal fat and/or used cooking oil must be supplied at a temperature wherein they are in a solid state.

Preferably the solid biomass material contains cellulose and/or lignocellulose. Such a material containing “cellulose” respectively “lignocellulose” is herein also referred to as a “cellulosic”, respectively “lignocellulosic” material. By a cellulosic material is herein understood a material containing cellulose and optionally also lignin and/or hemicellulose. By a lignocellulosic material is herein understood a material containing cellulose and lignin and optionally hemicellulose.

Examples of suitable cellulose- and/or lignocellulose-containing materials include agricultural wastes such as corn stover, soybean stover, corn cobs, rice straw, rice hulls, oat hulls, corn fibre, cereal straws such as wheat, barley, rye and oat straw; grasses; forestry products and/or forestry residues such as wood and wood-related materials such as sawdust; waste paper; sugar processing residues such as bagasse and beet pulp; or mixtures thereof. More preferably the solid biomass material is selected from the group consisting of wood, sawdust, straw, grass, bagasse, corn stover and/or mixtures thereof. When the solid biomass material is wood, both hard as well as soft wood may be used.

The solid biomass material may have undergone drying, demineralization, torrefaction, steam explosion, particle size reduction, densification and/or pelletization before being dispersed into the pneumatic fluid, to allow for improved process operability and economics.

In one embodiment, preferably the solid biomass material is a torrefied solid biomass material. In a preferred embodiment the process according to the invention comprises a step of torrefying the solid biomass material at a temperature of more than 200° C. to produce a torrefied solid biomass material that may be dispersed into the pneumatic fluid. The words torrefying and torrefaction are used interchangeable herein.

By torrefying or torrefaction is herein understood the treatment of the solid biomass material at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 200° C. to equal to or less than 350° C. in the essential absence of a catalyst and in an oxygen-poor, preferably an oxygen-free, atmosphere. By an oxygen-poor atmosphere is understood an atmosphere containing equal to or less than 15 vol.% oxygen, preferably equal to or less than 10 vol.% oxygen and more preferably equal to or less than 5 vol.% oxygen. By an oxygen-free atmosphere is understood that the torrefaction is carried out in the essential absence of oxygen.

In one embodiment, torrefying of the solid biomass material is preferably carried out at a temperature of more than 200° C., more preferably at a temperature equal to or more than 210° C., still more preferably at a temperature equal to or more than 220° C., yet more preferably at a temperature equal to or more than 230° C. In addition, torrefying of the solid biomass material is preferably carried out at a temperature less than 350° C., more preferably at a temperature equal to or less than 330° C., still more preferably at a temperature equal to or less than 310° C., yet more preferably at a temperature equal to or less than 300° C.

In another embodiment, torrefaction of the solid biomass material is preferably carried out in the essential absence of oxygen. More preferably the torrefaction is carried under an inert atmosphere, containing for example inert gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide and/or steam; and/or under a reducing atmosphere in the presence of a reducing gas such as hydrogen, gaseous hydrocarbons such as methane and ethane or carbon monoxide.

The torrefying step may be carried out at a wide range of pressures. Preferably, however, the torrefying step is carried out at atmospheric pressure (about 1 bar absolute, corresponding to about 0.1 MegaPascal).

The torrefying step may be carried out batchwise or continuously. A continuous torrefaction process is preferred as this allows a continuous combination of any torrefaction with the transporting according to the invention.

The torrefied solid biomass material has a higher energy density, a higher mass density and greater flowability, making it easier to transport, pelletize and/or store. Being more brittle, it can be easier reduced into smaller particles.

In a further preferred embodiment, any torrefying or torrefaction step further comprises drying the solid biomass material before such solid biomass material is torrefied. In such a drying step, the solid biomass material is preferably dried until the solid biomass material has a moisture content in the range of equal to or more than 0.1 wt % to equal to or less than 25 wt %, more preferably in the range of equal to or more than 5 wt % to equal to or less than 20 wt %, and most preferably in the range of equal to or more than 5 wt % to equal to or less than 15wt %. For practical purposes moisture content can be determined via ASTM E1756-01 Standard Test method for Determination of Total solids in Biomass. In this method the loss of weight during drying is a measure for the original moisture content.

In one embodiment, preferably the solid biomass material is a micronized solid biomass material. By a micronized solid biomass material is herein understood a solid biomass material that has a particle size distribution with a mean particle size in the range from equal to or more than 5 micrometer to equal to or less than 5000 micrometer, as measured with a laser scattering particle size distribution analyzer. In a preferred embodiment the process according to the invention comprises a step of reducing the particle size of the solid biomass material, optionally before or after such solid biomass material is torrefied. Such a particle size reduction step may for example be especially advantageous when the solid biomass material comprises wood or torrefied wood. The particle size of the, optionally torrefied, solid biomass material can be reduced in any manner known to the skilled person to be suitable for this purpose. Suitable methods for particle size reduction include crushing, grinding and/or milling. The particle size reduction may preferably be achieved by means of a ball mill, hammer mill, (knife) shredder, chipper, knife grid, or cutter.

In another embodiment, preferably the solid biomass material has a particle size distribution where the mean particle size lies in the range from equal to or more than 5 micrometer (micron), more preferably equal to or more than 10 micrometer, even more preferably equal to or more than 20 micrometer, even more preferably equal to or more than 100 micrometer, and most preferably equal to or more than 200 micrometer, to equal to or less than 5000 micrometer, more preferably equal to or less than 3000 micrometer, even more preferably equal to or less than 1000 micrometer and most preferably equal to or less than 500 micrometer.

In yet another embodiment, most preferably the solid biomass material has a particle size distribution where the mean particle size is equal to or more than 100 micrometer to avoid blocking of pipelines and/or nozzles. Most preferably, the solid biomass material has a particle size distribution where the mean particle size is equal to or less than 3000 micrometer to allow easy injection into a reactor.

For practical purposes, the particle size distribution and mean particle size of the solid biomass material can be determined with a Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyzer, preferably a Horiba LA950, according to the ISO 13320 method titled “Particle size analysis—Laser diffraction methods.”

In one embodiment, there is provided a process comprising a step of reducing the particle size of the solid biomass material, optionally before and/or after torrefaction, to generate a particle size distribution having a mean particle size in the range from equal to or more than 5 micrometer (micron), more preferably equal to or more than 10 micrometer, even more preferably equal to or more than 20 micrometer, even more preferably equal to or more than 100 micrometer, and most preferably equal to or more than 200 micrometer, to equal to or less than 5000 micrometer, more preferably equal to or less than 3000 micrometer, even more preferably equal to or less than 1000 micrometer and most preferably equal to or less than 500 micrometer to produce a micronized, optionally torrefied, solid biomass material.

In one embodiment, in step a) of the process, a pneumatic fluid is provided. The pneumatic fluid may be a pneumatic liquid; a pneumatic gas; or a combination thereof where the fluid is partially liquid partially gaseous. In a preferred embodiment the pneumatic fluid is a pneumatic gas.

By pneumatic is herein preferably understood creating movement solely by applying a pressure difference causing a flow from one location to another location. That is, no mechanical forces are used to create the movement. When the pneumatic fluid is a gas, pneumatic may be understood to refer to moving or working by gas pressure.

Examples of pneumatic fluids include water, steam, nitrogen, oils and/or oil fractions, or mixtures thereof. In one preferred embodiment the pneumatic fluid is an oil or oil fraction. Examples of oil fractions that may be suitable as a pneumatic fluid include liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, diesel, kerosene or naphtha. Preferably the pneumatic fluid is a vaporized oil or oil fraction. More preferably the pneumatic fluid is selected from the group consisting of vaporized liquefied petroleum gas, vaporized gasoline, vaporized diesel, vaporized kerosene, vaporized naphtha and/or mixtures thereof.

In an especially preferred embodiment, the pneumatic fluid is a vaporized liquefied petroleum gas, a liquid or vaporized naphtha fraction or a mixture thereof. By a naphtha fraction is herein preferably understood an oil fraction of which at least 80 wt %, more preferably at least 90 wt % boils in the range from equal to or more than 30° C. to less than 221° C. as determined at 0.1 MegaPascal by ASTM D86 titled “Standard Test Method for Distillation of Petroleum Products at Atmospheric Pressure.”

By a liquefied petroleum gas is herein preferably understood an oil fraction of which at least 80 wt %, more preferably at least 90 wt % boils in the range from equal to or more than −65° C. to less than 88° C. at 0.1 MegaPascal. The advantage of using a liquid- or vaporized oil; or a liquid- or vaporized oil fraction as a pneumatic fluid; may be that oil or oil fraction may have a higher density, allowing for a better transport of the solid biomass material.

In one embodiment, the pneumatic fluid is pressurized to a specific pressure, herein further also referred to as pneumatic pressure. In one embodiment the pneumatic pressure may be less than 0.1 MegaPascal. In this embodiment preferably the pneumatic fluid is pressurized to a pressure in the range from equal to or more than 0.0001 MegaPascal (0.001 bar absolute), preferably equal to or more than 0.001 MegaPascal (0.01 bar absolute) to less than 0.1 MegaPascal (1 bar absolute) preferably equal to or less than 0.01 MegaPascal (0.1 bar absolute). In this embodiment the pneumatic fluid may be provided by a so-called vacuum system.

In another embodiment, the pneumatic pressure may be more than 0.1 MegaPascal. In this embodiment, preferably the pneumatic fluid is pressurized to a pressure in the range from more than 0.10 MegaPascal (1 bar absolute) to equal to or less than 1.00 MegaPascal (10 bar absolute), more preferably in the range from equal to or more than 0.15 MegaPascal (1.5 bar absolute) to equal to or less than 0.80 MegaPascal (8 bar absolute) and most preferably in the range from equal to or more than 0.20 MegPascal (2 bar absolute) to equal to or less than 0.60 MegaPascal (6 bar absolute). In that case the pneumatic fluid may be provided by a so-called pressure system.

In a still further embodiment a combination may be used, where the pneumatic fluid may be provided by a so-called pressure-vacuum system.

In one embodiment, in step b) the solid biomass material is dispersed into the pneumatic fluid to prepare a pneumatic dispersion. In a preferred embodiment the solid biomass material has a particle size distribution with a mean particle size in the range from equal to or more than 5 micrometer to equal to or less than 5000 micrometer, more preferably a particle size distribution with a mean particle size in the range from equal to or more than 100 micrometer to equal to or less than 5000 micrometer, and the solid biomass material is dispersed in a pneumatic fluid that is pressurized to a pressure in the range from more than 0.10 MegaPascal (1 bar absolute) to equal to or less than 1.00 MegaPascal (10 bar absolute), more preferably in the range from equal to or more than 0.15 MegaPascal (1.5 bar absolute) to equal to or less than 0.80 MegaPascal (8 bar absolute) and most preferably in the range from equal to or more than 0.20 MegPascal (2 bar absolute) to equal to or less than 0.60 MegaPascal (6 bar absolute), to prepare the pneumatic dispersion. In this embodiment, the pneumatic fluid preferably has a flow rate in the range from equal to or more than 1.0 kg/minute to equal to or less than 150 kg/minute. In one embodiment, preferably the pneumatic fluid in this embodiment is a gas. In a preferred embodiment, such a gaseous pneumatic fluid is provided by a so-called positive-displacement blower or a compressor. This embodiment may also be referred to as a pressurized system as indicated above. This embodiment is advantageous in the process of the invention as the solid biomass material does not need to be conveyed through any pump or compressor. That is, there are no compressors or pumps that may clog up with the solid biomass particles in the particular embodiment.

In another embodiment, a vacuum can be used to induce a solid biomass material having a mean particle size in the range from equal to or more than 5 micrometer to equal to or less than 5000 micrometer, more preferably a particle size distribution with a mean particle size in the range from equal to or more than 5 micrometer to equal to or less than 500 micrometer, into a conveyer and move the solid biomass material over a distance to a separator; in the separator the pneumatic gas can be passed through a filter and into the suction side of a positive-displacement blower or compressor; subsequently the feed of solid biomass material may be fed by a rotary feeder into the conveyer positive pressure air system. This embodiment may also be referred to as a pressure-vacuum system as indicated above. Although this embodiment may be useful, it may be less preferred as the rotary feeder may become clogged with sticky particles of solid biomass material.

In one embodiment, the pneumatic dispersion preferably has a density in the range from equal to or more than 10 kilogram per cubic meter (m³) to equal to or less than 4000 kilogram per cubic meter (m³).

In another embodiment, in step b), the pneumatic dispersion is subsequently transported to a reactor. Such transport may involve transport through a pipeline, preferably through a so-called feedline. Preferably the pneumatic dispersion is transported to the reactor via one or more reactor inlets. The one or more reactor inlets may for example comprise one or more bottom entry reactor inlets and/or one or more side entry reactor inlets. Such a reactor inlet may have the form of a feed nozzle. For example the pneumatic dispersion may be transported to the reactor via one or more feed nozzles. The one or more feed nozzles may comprise one or more bottom entry feed nozzles and/or one or more side entry feed nozzles. By a bottom entry feed nozzle is herein preferably understood a feed nozzle protruding the reactor from the bottom. By a side entry feed nozzle is herein preferably understood a feed nozzle protruding the reactor via a side wall.

In one embodiment, in step c), the pneumatic dispersion is contacted with a catalyst in the reactor to produce a product stream comprising one or more conversion products. In a particular embodiment, preferably the pneumatic dispersion is contacted in step c) with a catalyst at a temperature of equal to or more than 300° C., more preferably equal to or more than 350° C., and most preferably at a temperature of equal to or more than 400° C. In another embodiment, the pneumatic dispersion is further preferably contacted in step c) with a catalyst at a temperature of equal to or less than 800° C., more preferably equal to or less than 700° C., and most preferably at a temperature of equal to or less than 650° C. In an embodiment where the reactor is a fluid catalytic cracking reactor as described herein below, the pneumatic dispersion is preferably contacted in step c) with a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst at a temperature of equal to or more than 450° C. to equal to or less than 650° C.

The reactor may be any type of reactor known to the skilled person to be suitable for contacting such a pneumatic dispersion with a catalyst. In one preferred embodiment the catalyst is a hydrocracking catalyst and the reactor is a hydrocracker reactor. In another preferred embodiment the catalyst is a catalytic cracking catalyst and the reactor is a catalytic cracking reactor. More preferably the catalyst may be a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst and the reactor is a fluid catalytic cracking reactor. Most preferably the reactor may be a so-called riser reactor. Such a riser reactor is the type of reactor most preferred for use as a fluid catalytic cracking reactor in a fluid catalytic cracking process. Examples of suitable riser reactors are described in the Handbook titled “Fluid Catalytic Cracking technology and operations”, by Joseph W. Wilson, published by PennWell Publishing Company (1997), chapter 3, especially pages 101 to 112, herein incorporated by reference.

In one embodiment, preferably a riser reactor comprises a liftpot and a riser reactor standpipe, where such liftpot may suitably be fluidly connected to such riser reactor standpipe. Further, the liftpot may suitably be located upstream of the riser reactor standpipe, such that a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst may flow in a direction from the liftpot to the riser reactor standpipe. Suitably the riser reactor, the liftpot and/or the riser reactor standpipe comprise metal as a construction material. The weight of a riser reactor standpipe is generally carried higher up in a unit. During heating of the riser reactor, any metal that is used as a construction material may expand. As a result of the thermal expansion of such metal, the riser reactor, the liftpot and/or the riser reactor standpipe may move into a downward direction. When feeding a solid biomass material into a riser reactor and/or liftpot via a direct connection with a heavy weight screw feeder or slurry pump, the necessity to compensate for any upward or downward movement of the riser reactor and/or liftpot, may compromise the mechanical integrity and therewith the reliability and safety of a process. A pneumatic feeding system in some embodiments described herein does not have that disadvantage.

In one embodiment, there is further provided a fluid catalytic cracking process for converting a solid biomass material comprising contacting the solid biomass material with a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst at a temperature of equal to or more than 400° C. in a fluid catalytic cracking reactor to produce a product stream comprising one or more conversion products, wherein the solid biomass material is transported into the fluid catalytic cracking reactor with the help of a pneumatic fluid and/or a pneumatic transport system.

By a pneumatic transport system is herein understood a feed system that makes use of a pneumatic fluid as described herein before. Such a system may be a vacuum system, pressure system or combination thereof as described herein above. The fluid catalytic cracking reactor is preferably a riser reactor. Further preferences, for example for the pneumatic fluid, are as describe above.

If so desired, the pneumatic fluid and/or pneumatic transport system may be combined with a screw feeder and/or slurry pump. This may especially be advantageous when a torrefied solid biomass material is used and/or when the solid biomass material needs to be reduced in size.

In an especially preferred embodiment, there is provided a fluid catalytic cracking process for converting a solid biomass material comprising i) torrefying the solid biomass material to produce a torrefied solid biomass material; ii) reducing the particle size of the torrefied solid biomass material to produce a torrefied, micronized solid biomass material; iii) transporting the torrefied, micronized solid biomass material with the help of an screw feeder and/or slurry pump to a pneumatic transport system; iv) providing a pneumatic fluid and dispersing the torrefied, micronized solid biomass material into the pneumatic fluid in the pneumatic transport system to prepare a pneumatic dispersion; v) transporting the pneumatic dispersion to a fluid catalytic cracking reactor; and vi) contacting the pneumatic dispersion with a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst at a temperature of equal to or more than 400° C. in a fluid catalytic cracking reactor to produce a product stream comprising one or more conversion products. Also for this embodiment, one or preferences are as described herein above.

In one particular embodiment, the process is a fluid catalytic cracking process; the pneumatic fluid is an oil or oil fraction as described herein above; the catalyst is a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst and the reactor is a fluid catalytic cracking reactor, preferably a riser reactor. More preferably the pneumatic fluid is a vaporized oil and/or a vaporized oil fraction as exemplified herein above. When a vaporized oil and/or a vaporized oil fraction is used as a pneumatic fluid, the process according to the invention has the further advantage that such vaporized oil and/or vaporized oil fraction may conveniently be simultaneously used as a co-feed in a fluid catalytic cracking process. Further the use of a vaporized oil and/or a vaporized oil fraction may conveniently allow one to fluidize the solid biomass material without the use of steam or nitrogen. This is advantageous as the use of steam in fluid catalytic cracking of a solid biomass material may result in products being formed that may be troublesome in the normal work-up section of a refinery. Further, the use of nitrogen is less commercially desirable, as it is a less available and expensive gas for use in a catalytic cracking process.

In a preferred embodiment, the process is a fluid catalytic cracking process for converting a solid biomass material, comprising a) providing a pneumatic fluid, wherein such pneumatic fluid comprises or consists of an oil, one or more oil fractions and/or a mixture thereof; b) dispersing the solid biomass material into the pneumatic fluid to prepare a pneumatic dispersion and transporting the pneumatic dispersion to a fluid catalytic cracking reactor; c) contacting the pneumatic dispersion with a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst at a temperature of equal to or more than 400° C. in the fluid catalytic cracking reactor to produce a product stream comprising one or more cracked products. In this embodiment the pneumatic fluid more preferably comprises or consists of a vaporized oil, one or more vaporized oil fractions and/or a mixture thereof, and most preferably comprises or consists of a vaporized liquefied petroleum gas, a vaporized naphtha fraction and/or a combination thereof.

In a further preferred embodiment, step c) or step vi) comprises a fluid catalytic cracking step comprising contacting the pneumatic dispersion, and optionally any additional hydrocarbon feed, with the fluid catalytic cracking catalyst at a temperature of equal to or more than 400° C. in a riser reactor to produce a product stream comprising one or more cracked products and a spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst; a separation step comprising separating the one or more cracked products from the spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst; a regeneration step comprising regenerating spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst to produce a regenerated fluid catalytic cracking catalyst, heat and carbon dioxide; and a recycle step comprising recycling the regenerated fluid catalytic cracking catalyst to the catalytic cracking step.

As mentioned herein before step c) may be carried out in the presence of an additional hydrocarbon feed. By a hydrocarbon feed is herein understood a feed that contains one or more hydrocarbon compounds. Examples of hydrocarbon compounds include paraffins (including naphthenes), olefins and aromatics.

The additional hydrocarbon feed can for example be derived from a conventional crude oil (also sometimes referred to as a petroleum oil or mineral oil), an unconventional crude oil (that is, oil produced or extracted using techniques other than the traditional oil well method) or a Fisher Tropsch oil (sometimes also referred to as a synthetic oil) and/or a mixture of any of these.

In one embodiment, the additional hydrocarbon feed preferably comprises a hydrocarbon feed that is partly or wholly derived from a petroleum crude oil. More preferably the hydrocarbon feed is an essentially completely petroleum-derived hydrocarbon feed, as opposed to a biomass-derived hydrocarbon feed. Examples of conventional crude oils (also called petroleum oils) include West Texas Intermediate crude oil, Brent crude oil, Dubai-Oman crude oil, Arabian Light crude oil, Midway Sunset crude oil or Tapis crude oil.

In another embodiment, the hydrocarbon feed more preferably comprises a fraction of a petroleum crude oil, unconventional crude oil or synthetic crude oil. Preferred fractions include straight run (atmospheric) gas oils, flashed distillate, vacuum gas oils (VGO), coker gas oils, diesel, gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, liquefied petroleum gases, atmospheric residue (“long residue”) and vacuum residue (“short residue”) and/or mixtures thereof. Most preferably the hydrocarbon feed comprises an atmospheric residue, vacuum residue and/or a vacuum gas oil.

Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. Elements and materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed, and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention. Changes may be made in the elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims. 

1. A process for converting a solid biomass material, comprising a) providing a pneumatic fluid; b) dispersing the solid biomass material into the pneumatic fluid to prepare a pneumatic dispersion and transporting the pneumatic dispersion to a reactor; and c) contacting the pneumatic dispersion with a catalyst in the reactor to produce a product stream comprising one or more conversion products.
 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the pneumatic fluid is an oil or oil fraction.
 3. The process of claim 1, wherein the pneumatic fluid is selected from the group consisting of vaporized liquefied petroleum gas, vaporized gasoline, vaporized diesel, vaporized kerosene, vaporized naphtha, and any combination thereof.
 4. The process of claim 1 further comprising dispersing the solid biomass material in a pneumatic fluid that is pressurized to a pressure in the range from more than 0.10 MegaPascal to equal to or less than 1.00 MegaPascal to prepare the pneumatic dispersion.
 5. The process of claim 4, wherein the solid biomass material has a particle size distribution with a mean particle size in the range from equal to or more than 100 micrometer to equal to or less than 5000 micrometer.
 6. The process of claim 1, wherein the pneumatic dispersion has a density in the range from equal to or more than 10 kilogram per cubic meter (m³) to equal to or less than 4000 kilogram per cubic meter (m³).
 7. The process of claim 1, wherein the catalyst comprises a hydrocracking catalyst or a catalytic cracking catalyst and the reactor comprises a hydrocracker reactor or a catalytic cracking reactor.
 8. A fluid catalytic cracking process for converting a solid biomass material, comprising: a) providing a pneumatic fluid, wherein such pneumatic fluid comprises an oil, one or more oil fractions, and/or a mixture thereof; b) dispersing the solid biomass material into the pneumatic fluid to prepare a pneumatic dispersion; and c) contacting the pneumatic dispersion with a fluid catalytic cracking catalyst in a fluid catalytic cracking reactor to produce a product stream comprising one or more conversion products.
 9. The process of claim 8, wherein the pneumatic fluid comprises a vaporized oil, one or more vaporized oil fractions and/or a mixture thereof.
 10. The process of claim 8 further comprising supplying an additional hydrocarbon feed.
 11. The process of claim 8, wherein the contacting step comprises contacting the pneumatic dispersion with the fluid catalytic cracking catalyst at a temperature of at least 400° C. in a riser reactor to produce a product stream comprising one or more cracked products and a spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst.
 12. The process of claim 11, further comprising a separation step comprising separating the one or more cracked products from the spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst; a regeneration step comprising regenerating spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst to produce a regenerated fluid catalytic cracking catalyst, heat and carbon dioxide; and a recycle step comprising recycling the regenerated fluid catalytic cracking catalyst to the catalytic cracking step.
 13. The process of claim 8 further comprising torrefying the solid biomass.
 14. The process of claim 8 further comprising transporting the pneumatic dispersion to the fluid catalytic cracking reactor.
 15. The process of claim 15 wherein the transport is achieved using a screw feeder. 